FACTORYSHELFOperations answers
Ops stack directory

The systems consumer brands actually run

Eight tools by category: ERP, inventory, manufacturing, 3PL, EDI, planning, freight, and shipping. What each one is for, and who it fits.

NetSuite logoNetSuite
ERP

Full ERP when finance and inventory need to live in one system.

netsuite.com Published referral rate: 10% of the first-year license
Cin7 logoCin7
Inventory

Multichannel inventory for brands not ready for a full ERP.

cin7.com Published referral rate: Up to $1,000 per referred client
Katana logoKatana
Manufacturing

Production and materials planning for brands that make their own goods.

katanamrp.com Published referral rate: 20%, through PartnerStack
ShipBob logoShipBob
3PL

Outsourced fulfillment with inventory split across nodes.

shipbob.com Published referral rate: $850 per qualified opportunity
SPS Commerce logoSPS Commerce
EDI

Retail EDI for Target, Kroger, and the big-box set.

spscommerce.com Published referral rate: No published rate
Inventory Planner logoInventory Planner
Planning

Forecasting and open-to-buy for Shopify brands.

inventory-planner.com Published referral rate: No published rate
Flexport logoFlexport
Freight

Ocean and air freight with landed cost visibility.

flexport.com Published referral rate: No published rate
ShipStation logoShipStation
Shipping

Label printing and order routing across channels.

shipstation.com Published referral rate: No published rate

<b>Disclosure:</b> no vendor on this page pays anything today. The referral rates listed are each vendor’s published public rate, shown so you know what a recommendation could be worth to anyone recommending it. If that ever changes here, this line changes with it, and any fee earned on a client’s stack is credited back to their invoice.

Product names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. Listing here is not a partnership or an endorsement by them.

Picking between them

The tool is the easy part. The decision is not.

ERP or a lighter inventory system, 3PL or in-house, EDI provider or the retailer portal: the right answer depends on channels, SKU count, and who closes the books. An audit ends with that decision, written down.

Also useful

Landed cost calculator and the 10-question scorecard before you change systems.